South Korea Pushes AI-Driven Drug Development to Speed Up Discovery

South Korea is stepping up efforts to harness Artificial Intelligence (AI) in drug development, aiming to stay competitive in the fast-evolving global bio-health sector, local media reported Thursday.

Officials from the Economy and Finance Ministry held discussions with major private companies to advance AI integration in pharmaceutical research, according to Seoul-based Yonhap news agency.

The ministry highlighted that AI is becoming a vital tool in biotechnology, especially in areas such as new drug development, protein structure prediction, design, and gene therapy.

South Korea currently ranks third globally in the number of AI-related bio patents, underscoring its strong position in the field.

The global AI biotechnology market is projected to grow at over 19% annually, reaching an estimated $7.75 billion by 2029.

The ministry noted that AI has the potential to significantly shorten drug development timelines — from the conventional 10 to 18 years down to just six to nine years — by streamlining research and reducing trial-and-error phases.